Jahangir brushes Stuart Davenport aside

Press, 22 April 1986, Page 36

Jahangir brushes Stuart Davenport aside

NZPA staff correspondent London Stuart Davenport was left out of the New Zealand success story at the British Open squash championships at Wembley. While Susan Devoy and Ross Norman qualified for the finals, Davenport was overwhelmed, 0-9, 1-9, 2-9, by the world champion, Jahangir Khan. The Pakistani displayed all the skills that have kept him undefeated for five years in a performance which did not augur well for Norman’s chances tomorrow. “To have any chance against him you have to be very much on top of things and I did not feel on top today. Mind you, he did not let me,” Davenport said. “We know that if he has an off day we can push him. But when you are not at your best and he is, then you are going to be in a little bit of trouble.”

Devoy will start her final, against England’s Lisa Opie, from a much stronger position than Norman. As world champion and defending title-holder she is the clear favourite to retain the championship she has won the last two years. She beat last year’s runner-up, Martine Le Moignan, 9-6, 10-8, 9-3, but said she was not happy with the way she played. At the same time Opie, who lost to Devoy in the 1984 championship, showed she was in superb form when she came from two games down to beat the second seed, Lucy Soutter (England), in the first semi-final. Unless the New Zealander regains the confidence she showed in the quarter finals the final could be a close-run thing. Norman became the first New Zealand man to reach the British Open

final when he beat England’s Gawain Briars in a punishing 1y 2 hour match, 0-9, 9-2, 9-1, 9-5. The big Englishman played brilliantly in the first game but the succession of long rallies sapped his energy and allowed Norman to take over. Devoy. and Le Moignan played an aggressive match, each going for winning shots rather than waiting for errors from the other. Davenport played with all the ability that has taken him to third ranking in the world but against an in-form Jahangir it was pointless. He played some of his best shots but virtually every time the Pakistani covered what seemed impossible ground to pick up the ball and place it beyond the New Zealander’s reach. If the Pakistani does have weakness, it is very well hidden.